Particle pollution is a silent killer, responsible for countless premature deaths worldwide. Adding to the alarm: Millions of people in the U.S. are unknowingly breathing dangerous levels of this pollution every day, with no warning or protection. That’s because the U.S. air quality monitoring system has significant gaps, according to a report published last month in Environmental Science and Technology Letters. This means that many communities—especially those most vulnerable—remain exposed, unaware, and unprotected.
In addition to premature death, particle pollution (also known as PM 2.5 or soot) is linked to severe respiratory and heart diseases. In a move to protect communities exposed to this unhealthy pollution, EPA recently tightened its PM 2.5 pollution standard (thanks in part to Mom’s advocacy). But a big issue remains: without proper monitoring in place, we are not capturing the true picture of pollution.
Tell Congress: Hold the Line on Progress to Cut Climate Pollution
The report details how today’s monitoring network is made up of state and local air monitoring stations scattered unevenly across the country. On average, there is just one PM 2.5 monitoring site per 250,000 people, and many of these sites are in lower pollution areas, or what EPA calls attainment zones. This is inadequate.
It goes on to say that approximately 44% of nonattainment zones—areas with high levels of air pollution that fail to meet federal air quality standards—remain unmonitored. These zones include roughly 20 million people, including a disproportionate number of communities of color and under-resourced populations, perpetuating environmental injustice. The gaps in air quality monitoring mean that these historically marginalized neighborhoods face heightened health risks without knowing it simply because they aren’t adequately tracked. Without a clear understanding of pollution concentrations, the true health risks in these communities are underestimated and largely invisible.
Stephanie Reese, Moms’ Director of DEIJ and Strategic Implementation, knows firsthand what it’s like to live near a major source of air pollution. When she lived just minutes from Interstate 95 in Virginia, her youngest son started to experience respiratory issues, including difficulty breathing. Fortunately, she was able to move farther from the highway and its pollution, but not everyone is able to escape poor air quality.
“We have to prioritize the health and well-being of all communities, especially those historically underserved,” Stephanie says. “Closing these gaps and enhancing air quality monitoring in these areas are critical steps toward achieving this goal.”
Additional air quality monitoring would go a long way toward closing these gaps. Researchers say that adding a mere 10 new monitoring locations would reduce the population in the uncaptured hot spots by 67%. Local governments can also demand federal funding to support high-resolution, community-based monitoring plus new technologies like mobile monitoring units, satellite-based data, and well-calibrated portable sensors to reveal the true state of air pollution exposure, according to the report. By integrating these tools, communities that have been overlooked could finally be properly monitored and protected.
Ultimately, clean air is a right, not a privilege. While the recent PM 2.5 standard change was a victory for public health, it will only hold true if we take the necessary steps to monitor pollution fairly and effectively across all populations. Until we do, millions will remain in the shadows, breathing air that is both unmonitored and unsafe. We must demand an air quality monitoring network that truly reflects the lived realities of all communities, so that everyone, regardless of their zip code, has the chance to breathe clean air.
Tell Congress: Hold the Line on Progress to Cut Climate Pollution